"One by One, We Will Remember" Sewol Ferry 7th Anniversary Memorial Continues

Family Memorial Visitors Continue Steadily... "Thinking of That Time Breaks My Heart">

On the morning of the 16th, marking the 7th anniversary of the Sewol ferry disaster, visitors continue to arrive at Paengmok Port in Jindo, Jeollanam-do to pay their respects.

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters reporters Yoon Jamin and Jung Seunghyun] Around 9 a.m. on the 16th, marking the 7th anniversary of the Sewol Ferry disaster, time seemed to stand still at Jindo Paengmok Port, the saddest harbor in the world. It was still April 16, 2014, here.

If you were to find something that had changed, it would be the faded yellow ribbons, the rusted container “Memory Hall,” and the asphalt laid on the nearby road that used to be unpaved.

From the Memory Hall, a song calling out the names of the Danwon High School students one by one still played, and dozens of notes and photos left by mourners saying “We will remember” remained unchanged.

Perhaps because of the brief rain in the morning, combined with the cloudy weather and strong winds, the atmosphere here felt even heavier.

Mr. Kim Hojin (53, from Daejeon Metropolitan City), whom we met here, could not take his eyes off a video that compiled the names and photos of the Danwon High School students during their lifetime.

After watching the video, Mr. Kim’s eyes were red as he turned away.

He said, “I have been visiting this place every year since the year after the Sewol Ferry disaster, and every time I see the children’s photos, my heart breaks,” adding, “It is also heartbreaking that the number of mourners noticeably decreases every year.”

He then said, “It has been a long seven years, but the truth has not been revealed, which is a big problem,” as he turned his gaze toward the distant sea.

Citizens who visited here stared blankly at the sea or hung new ribbons among the faded yellow ribbons, each mourning in their own way. Some quietly wiped away their tears.

Although the strong wind blew their hair around, making it uncomfortable, no one seemed to mind; they all appeared to be enduring the wind to remember each and every one.

Students from Jindo Industrial High School and Jindo Seo Elementary School also spent some time here mourning before leaving.

Families with children, mourners who came alone, and elderly people with white hair continued to visit to pay their respects.

Mr. Kim Jihoon, who came with his two sons aged six and four, gently explained to his children as he took a yellow ribbon next to the guestbook and hung it on a tree.

On the morning of the 16th, marking the 7th anniversary of the Sewol ferry disaster, Go Young-hwan, the father of Woo-jae, a second-year student at Danwon High School during the Sewol ferry tragedy, is sharing the story of that time with students from Jindo Industrial High School who came to pay their respects at Paengmok Port in Jindo.

Mr. Go Younghwan, father of Woo Jae, a second-year, class 8 student at Danwon High School who has been guarding this place since the disaster, was also unable to leave today.

Mr. Go said, “What we want most is the truth to be uncovered,” adding, “The responsible parties keep receiving exemptions, but how can I ease the resentment of my dead children…” trailing off.

At Sinwoe Port in Mokpo, Jeollanam-do, where the Sewol ferry hull is docked, citizens’ waves of mourning continued.

Citizens mourned quietly while looking at memorial banners posted at every corner and yellow ribbons fluttering in the wind.

Some citizens could not hide their grief as they looked at photos from the time on display.

In particular, the faded ribbons attached to the fence at Sinwoe Port indirectly conveyed that seven years had passed.

Mr. Kim Seungyu (39) said, “It is regrettable and frustrating that the statute of limitations for the case expired this year without the Sewol Ferry truth investigation being properly revealed,” adding, “The Sewol Ferry sinking is a disaster that must never be forgotten in our memories.”

Starting in 2024, the 10th anniversary of the Sewol Ferry disaster, the hull currently docked at Sinwoe Port will be moved to the reclaimed land of Gohado, 1.3 km away, for permanent preservation.

On the morning of the 16th, marking the 7th anniversary of the Sewol ferry disaster, faded yellow ribbons flutter in the wind at Sinwoehang Port in Mokpo City, Jeollanam-do, where the Sewol ferry hull is docked.